In a panic move, the Philadelphia Flyers have decided to part ways with General Manager, Ron Hextall. After the Flyers hired him to fix all the contract issues that former GM, Paul Holmgren, had plagued the team with. He brought in an outside coach from the NCAA and continued to build our farm system, which is now one of the most talented in the league.
Ownership has shown they may have wanted some of these young guys up sooner, on top of wanting Hextall to stray from his original plan. Yes, he did fix many of the problems we had, but once again, another Flyers GM ignored the goaltending situation like we have for the past 30 years. Yes, he did clean up some of the mess, but many were unsure of his ability to win now.
Today President Paul Holmgren and CEO Dave Scott addressed the media for the first time since the termination. They gave Hextall credit stating, “Hexy put this organization in a good spot with the young players & our farm system. There is cap space which is a good thing. Having said that, I felt that it was in the best interest of the organization & time to look for a new voice and push us to the next level.”
The fact that Hextall was fired and the former GM is still with the organization is a problem and doesn’t really make much sense. The stubbornness of the Flyers organization has only led to dysfunction.
Despite the dysfunction and mediocre hockey, Hextall has stood by his plan. He tried to rebuild the team while still trying to compete for the postseason. That formula never works, and Hextall’s time with the team proved that.
Both Holmgren and Scott each said they want to see a more “aggressive” GM with the next candidate. “Our number one priority going forward is getting a new GM hired.”
They need to win now and, according to ownership, Hextall wasn’t able to adjust his plan enough to fit their vision. “The players know. The coaches know. It’s all about winning and we haven’t been winning enough games. We need to get back to work.” Holmgren said.
The Flyers need to face their problems and stop running from them. This young core doesn’t need to be torn apart just yet, but if the inconsistency continues then a full-blown rebuild may be the Flyers only option.
The Flyers need a GM who commit to not rushing this young talent, but you need to give them a chance at some point. On top of acquiring right free agents to win now. Whoever comes in next has some big shoes to fill, and they need to look at these problems in the mirror, unlike the past couple in his shoes.
good job
I agree the flyers management has always been impatient
that needs to change